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The Seton Chronicles #3
The Apostates
From the Winner of the Barbara Hammond Trophy and Amazon BESTSELLING Author
'Momentous historical events made personal and human.'
It’s 1550 and Bethia has fled Antwerp, with her infant son, before the jaws of the inquisition clamp down, for the family are accused of secret judaising. She believes they've evaded capture but her husband, Mainard, unbeknownst to her, is caught, imprisoned and alone.
Reaching Geneva, Bethia hopes for respite from a perilous journey, but it’s a Protestant city state which tolerates no dissent – and she's a Catholic. And why has Mainard not come?
Perhaps he’s already reached Venice where Jews can live openly, the Virgin gazes benignly from every corner and difference is tolerated, for the wealthy at least. Yet much is hidden beneath the smooth waters of this perilous city. Must they again flee to survive…
'Momentous historical events made personal and human.'
It’s 1550 and Bethia has fled Antwerp, with her infant son, before the jaws of the inquisition clamp down, for the family are accused of secret judaising. She believes they've evaded capture but her husband, Mainard, unbeknownst to her, is caught, imprisoned and alone.
Reaching Geneva, Bethia hopes for respite from a perilous journey, but it’s a Protestant city state which tolerates no dissent – and she's a Catholic. And why has Mainard not come?
Perhaps he’s already reached Venice where Jews can live openly, the Virgin gazes benignly from every corner and difference is tolerated, for the wealthy at least. Yet much is hidden beneath the smooth waters of this perilous city. Must they again flee to survive…
- GenresHistorical FictionItaly
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2022
About the author
V.E.H. Masters
6 books36 followersWould you like three free historical short stories which build on the Seton Chronicles? Visit my website https://vehmasters.com and pick up your copies of A Bonny Lass, The Sound of Silence and A Long Wait. Each tell the reader secrets which Bethia and Will do not know.
The final book in the Seton Chronicles is out now.. The Pittenweemers finds the family back in Scotland in a year of dangerous portents when the all of Scotland is in fear of the coming of the Spanish Armada. And then one day the villagers awake to find an Armada ship is here.
All my books are based on real events and follow the history closely.
I grew up on a farm near St. Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. St Andrews is famous as the home of golf but it also was a great religious centre and place of pilgrimage prior to the Reformation in 1560 – all largely disregarded when we were at school. The first time I was in the castle was aged twelve when our teacher took us on a rare visit to it. There was a famous siege there in 1546 and I was captivated when we went down the siege tunnel dug out of rock then and peered into the bottle dungeon where the murdered Cardinal's body is said to have been kept, pickled in salt, for over a year.
The group who took the castle and held it for over 14 months, resisting the many attempts to re-take it, called themselves the Castilians and I remember thinking even then it was the perfect title for a book. I just didn't realise how long it would take me to write it!
Once I'd finished the first book I continued the story of Bethia and Will as they are caught up in the religious turmoil of the Reformation. How does a family of different faiths hold together and survive when your safety depended on both where you were and what faith you adhered to?
Regular posts on my research and the wonderful nuggets of detail I find are on my website and I'd be honoured if you signed up for my monthly newsletter which often offers giveaways.
The Castilians is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the talented actor and voice artist Beverley Wright.
To find out more please go to her website https://vehmasters.com/. A short story telling more about the characters is free to all newsletter subscribers.
The final book in the Seton Chronicles is out now.. The Pittenweemers finds the family back in Scotland in a year of dangerous portents when the all of Scotland is in fear of the coming of the Spanish Armada. And then one day the villagers awake to find an Armada ship is here.
All my books are based on real events and follow the history closely.
I grew up on a farm near St. Andrews on the east coast of Scotland. St Andrews is famous as the home of golf but it also was a great religious centre and place of pilgrimage prior to the Reformation in 1560 – all largely disregarded when we were at school. The first time I was in the castle was aged twelve when our teacher took us on a rare visit to it. There was a famous siege there in 1546 and I was captivated when we went down the siege tunnel dug out of rock then and peered into the bottle dungeon where the murdered Cardinal's body is said to have been kept, pickled in salt, for over a year.
The group who took the castle and held it for over 14 months, resisting the many attempts to re-take it, called themselves the Castilians and I remember thinking even then it was the perfect title for a book. I just didn't realise how long it would take me to write it!
Once I'd finished the first book I continued the story of Bethia and Will as they are caught up in the religious turmoil of the Reformation. How does a family of different faiths hold together and survive when your safety depended on both where you were and what faith you adhered to?
Regular posts on my research and the wonderful nuggets of detail I find are on my website and I'd be honoured if you signed up for my monthly newsletter which often offers giveaways.
The Castilians is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the talented actor and voice artist Beverley Wright.
To find out more please go to her website https://vehmasters.com/. A short story telling more about the characters is free to all newsletter subscribers.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 3, 2022
In this volume, we continue the travels of Bethia and Mainard (and their growing family). It’s beginning to look like there isn’t a safe place in Europe for these religious outcasts. Neither Catholic nor Jewish, the Conversos are rejected by both, and Bethia is tainted by association with her new family, while Mainard shows alarming tendencies of relapsing back into Judaism. His sister Katheline has already gone over the edge, displaying reckless behavior that threatens her family with arrest, execution, or worse. Poor Bethia’s world seems to constrict all around her, though she initially finds solace in Venice, which still leans toward veneration of the Virgin Mary, giving her comfort. But before long, the old persecutions are rearing their ugly heads in Venice as well. The author depicts the fears and frustrations of the Conversos very effectively. I was easily able to identify with their paranoia:
Then one day da Molina came to warn Mainard that the family were under suspicion. Katheline’s activities were not so secret after all. And there were questions about Papa's burial. Neighbours had reported the unnatural speed with which he was interred and even worse that the corpse was wrapped in white linen – a most foreign and unchristian act. The sense of being constantly watched grew until Bethia was glancing all around her whenever she left home.
At the same time, Bethia’s brother Will has gone back to Calvin and trains to be a preacher, himself. So now she has something else to worry about. The Protestants are beset with internal fighting between Calvin and the heretic Servetus, and although this is all in the background, it serves to illustrate even more religious strife in the period. There is no safe place for Bethia to raise her family, and it’s a wonder she is able to hold body and soul together. As a character she is amazingly resilient, and provides the anchor for the reader to hang onto.
Then one day da Molina came to warn Mainard that the family were under suspicion. Katheline’s activities were not so secret after all. And there were questions about Papa's burial. Neighbours had reported the unnatural speed with which he was interred and even worse that the corpse was wrapped in white linen – a most foreign and unchristian act. The sense of being constantly watched grew until Bethia was glancing all around her whenever she left home.
At the same time, Bethia’s brother Will has gone back to Calvin and trains to be a preacher, himself. So now she has something else to worry about. The Protestants are beset with internal fighting between Calvin and the heretic Servetus, and although this is all in the background, it serves to illustrate even more religious strife in the period. There is no safe place for Bethia to raise her family, and it’s a wonder she is able to hold body and soul together. As a character she is amazingly resilient, and provides the anchor for the reader to hang onto.
February 25, 2023
The third novel in the Seton-De Lange saga opens with the family getting packed to leave Antwerp. Mainard recognizes he has been compromised by being accused of being a closet Jew. He isn’t, but his ancestors converted to escape the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, so he’s vulnerable. Bethia, his Scottish wife, is a refugee from St. Andrews where her brother Will had been involved in the Protestant rebellion. Will, Bethia, and her baby, Samuel-Thomas, set out for Geneva where Will is hoping to join the Protestant clergy under John Calvin. Travel in that period is dangerous, both from natural forces (winter is coming) and from predatory people on the road, and they barely get started before they experience their first challenge in the form of a canal boat collision. Meanwhile, Mainard is attacked on the street before he even makes the arrangements for selling their house. He wakes up in prison, and Grissel, Bethia’s maid, is attacked at the house by another of the servants.
From that point on it’s an intricate plot where the characters have to thread their way through many perils to get to Geneva. Once there, though, they find the Protestant city is not welcoming to Catholic Bethia, and they have to continue on. They decide to head for Venice, leaving Will working for Calvin. Bethia worries why Mainard never returns her letters. Venice is represented believably (I wonder how the author did her research to be able to provide local color in so many different places), but they are dogged by the same forces of religious fanaticism that made it necessary to flee Antwerp. While Mainard says he would be happy if he could be accepted as a Catholic, his sister Kateline, who went into exile with Bethia, wants to convert back to Judaism and is keeping a book in Hebrew that, if it becomes known to the Inquisition, will send her to the stake, and compromise the rest. Will’s Protestant activities could have the same result should he leave the Protestant enclave of Geneva to rejoin the family.
While most people today aren’t so committed to their religion, the author makes the situation faced by her characters both believable and dramatic. It’s no coincidence that many of the original colonists to settle in the Americas were seeking religious freedom, something they were conspicuously denied in Europe. The book’s action takes place around 1550; Samuel-Thomas, should he grow up and move to England, would be middle-aged in time to watch Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice.” I’m sure Bethia’s decision to go to Venice isn’t a coincidence.
There’s a fourth volume coming and I wonder very much how the author will resolve these very difficult strands of her theme. The third volume is preparing the audience for something. Let’s hope the fourth doesn’t disappoint us.
From that point on it’s an intricate plot where the characters have to thread their way through many perils to get to Geneva. Once there, though, they find the Protestant city is not welcoming to Catholic Bethia, and they have to continue on. They decide to head for Venice, leaving Will working for Calvin. Bethia worries why Mainard never returns her letters. Venice is represented believably (I wonder how the author did her research to be able to provide local color in so many different places), but they are dogged by the same forces of religious fanaticism that made it necessary to flee Antwerp. While Mainard says he would be happy if he could be accepted as a Catholic, his sister Kateline, who went into exile with Bethia, wants to convert back to Judaism and is keeping a book in Hebrew that, if it becomes known to the Inquisition, will send her to the stake, and compromise the rest. Will’s Protestant activities could have the same result should he leave the Protestant enclave of Geneva to rejoin the family.
While most people today aren’t so committed to their religion, the author makes the situation faced by her characters both believable and dramatic. It’s no coincidence that many of the original colonists to settle in the Americas were seeking religious freedom, something they were conspicuously denied in Europe. The book’s action takes place around 1550; Samuel-Thomas, should he grow up and move to England, would be middle-aged in time to watch Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice.” I’m sure Bethia’s decision to go to Venice isn’t a coincidence.
There’s a fourth volume coming and I wonder very much how the author will resolve these very difficult strands of her theme. The third volume is preparing the audience for something. Let’s hope the fourth doesn’t disappoint us.
November 23, 2022
The Apostates recounts the exciting and harrowing story of an extended family navigating the dangerous world of sixteenth-century Europe. When rulers shift their political and religious affiliations, each family member, whether Jewish, Protestant, or Roman Catholic, struggles to find a safe course.
Whether they arrive at their religious beliefs through heredity, compulsion, or personal conviction, common people discover their convictions have life or death consequences.
V.E.H. Masters masterfully places her vivid characters in settings with telling details, so readers are immersed in the multiple locations in which the characters live and travel.
Readers of historical fiction will enjoy the suspenseful story as well as the author’s historical accuracy, while the dramatic plot and character development will hook general fiction readers. The Apostates’ portrayal of the plight of Jews in the sixteenth century, as well as the Protestant Reformation’s many impacts on Europe, will also appeal to history lovers.
The Apostates is third in the author’s Seton Chronicles. Although it can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading the preceding volumes (The Castilians and The Conversos) first, for a fuller comprehension of plot and characters. I look forward to reading the upcoming volumes in this series!
Whether they arrive at their religious beliefs through heredity, compulsion, or personal conviction, common people discover their convictions have life or death consequences.
V.E.H. Masters masterfully places her vivid characters in settings with telling details, so readers are immersed in the multiple locations in which the characters live and travel.
Readers of historical fiction will enjoy the suspenseful story as well as the author’s historical accuracy, while the dramatic plot and character development will hook general fiction readers. The Apostates’ portrayal of the plight of Jews in the sixteenth century, as well as the Protestant Reformation’s many impacts on Europe, will also appeal to history lovers.
The Apostates is third in the author’s Seton Chronicles. Although it can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend reading the preceding volumes (The Castilians and The Conversos) first, for a fuller comprehension of plot and characters. I look forward to reading the upcoming volumes in this series!
November 8, 2022
The Apostates was a very enjoyable read, albeit I did find myself a little breathless at times! The story was certainly gripping and moved along at a cracking pace. Each moment of calm, if brief, was a great relief, for me as well as for the hard-pressed characters!
The underlying theme of the story, the devastating religious conflicts of sixteenth century Europe, presented an area of history about which I knew very little. It’s a fascinating as well as horrifying subject. The historical background to the story seemed very well researched and I felt I learned a lot about those terrifying times.
But I was also much drawn to the characters, particularly Bethia, whose grit and determination to survive were remarkable. Her husband Mainard too was full of fortitude in what were clearly unimaginably testing circumstances, though there was a stretch of the book when I found his attitude to his long-suffering wife quite insufferable! And of course, I must mention Grissel, the couple’s feisty maid with her sharp (almost entirely Scottish) tongue and noble heart – a great character.
I must mention too how very atmospheric and vivid the writing is. The author does not shy away from the stink and unpleasantness of sixteenth century life, and there were many scenes when I was really “there”, witnessing and experiencing the sights, sounds and smells as well as the discomfort. A favourite scene of mine, though brief, is in a fish market – wonderfully vivid!
All in all, an excellent read, and highly recommended. I read it without having read the first two Seton Chronicles, which was fine, as, for the most part, I was able to follow the story perfectly well. However, I do now want to read those first two books, to discover what it was that led Bethia, and her brother Will, onto the predicaments in which we find them in The Apostates. I’m also very much looking forward to a further instalment of their adventures.
The underlying theme of the story, the devastating religious conflicts of sixteenth century Europe, presented an area of history about which I knew very little. It’s a fascinating as well as horrifying subject. The historical background to the story seemed very well researched and I felt I learned a lot about those terrifying times.
But I was also much drawn to the characters, particularly Bethia, whose grit and determination to survive were remarkable. Her husband Mainard too was full of fortitude in what were clearly unimaginably testing circumstances, though there was a stretch of the book when I found his attitude to his long-suffering wife quite insufferable! And of course, I must mention Grissel, the couple’s feisty maid with her sharp (almost entirely Scottish) tongue and noble heart – a great character.
I must mention too how very atmospheric and vivid the writing is. The author does not shy away from the stink and unpleasantness of sixteenth century life, and there were many scenes when I was really “there”, witnessing and experiencing the sights, sounds and smells as well as the discomfort. A favourite scene of mine, though brief, is in a fish market – wonderfully vivid!
All in all, an excellent read, and highly recommended. I read it without having read the first two Seton Chronicles, which was fine, as, for the most part, I was able to follow the story perfectly well. However, I do now want to read those first two books, to discover what it was that led Bethia, and her brother Will, onto the predicaments in which we find them in The Apostates. I’m also very much looking forward to a further instalment of their adventures.
December 2, 2022
Beautifully written The Apostates is third book in the exciting historical fiction tale of Bethia and her family of mixed faith trying to find each other, and a safe place to live in Europe in the turbulent 16th century. A time when even a hint of deviation from one faith could lead to torture, beheading or burning at the stake. Following Bethia, now with child, husband Maynard, brother Will, maid Grissel, and her wayward sister in law, is enthralling and enlightening, and keeps the reader on edge throughout. The details of the religious factions, conflicts and the characters driving them, Calvin, Servetus and the powerful Venetian families of the time, is informative and fascinating. The contrast of the domestic and the civic European world in which Bethia to survive needs to play a precarious and carefully judged role, holds the readers interest to the final page.
December 26, 2022
Enjoyed this third installment in the Seton Chronicles. This one takes us on a journey thorough Europe from Antwerp to uber protestant Geneva to the decadent world of Venice, Italy. Bethia and Mainard struggle to find a place they can call home and which is safe for Conversos to live. The history is impeccable and the story telling remains strong. Looking forward to reading more about Bethia!
February 4, 2023
So much conflict: can there ever be a safe place for this young family
Powerful Rome has turned turned people against the Catholic Church and Protestant sects are on the rise in many cities in Europe during the 1500s. Both religions blame the Jews for Christ's death. Can there be a safe haven for Maynaird, a Catholic whose family converted from Judaism and his Scottish wife who prays daily to the Virgin Mother?
This in depth story describes the difficulties of life during the Inquisition and Reformation and the impact it has on daily life.
Powerful Rome has turned turned people against the Catholic Church and Protestant sects are on the rise in many cities in Europe during the 1500s. Both religions blame the Jews for Christ's death. Can there be a safe haven for Maynaird, a Catholic whose family converted from Judaism and his Scottish wife who prays daily to the Virgin Mother?
This in depth story describes the difficulties of life during the Inquisition and Reformation and the impact it has on daily life.
December 17, 2023
Always fleeing persecution
The historical accuracy and details of the continuously changing religious climate are commendable; a solid following of church history and it's heroes of the faith.
The historical accuracy and details of the continuously changing religious climate are commendable; a solid following of church history and it's heroes of the faith.
October 30, 2023
4.5 rounded to 5 stars. I'm enjoying the complex journey of Scottish Bethia, her Converso husband, their families and servants enormously. Also learning a vast amount about the terrible complexities of religion during this period, (Tudor in UK terms)- of John Knox, Calvin, (who didn't coming out of this well),the Inquisition etc. Travelling across Europe with the author and characters is also fascinating as painstakingly researched. Looking forward to the next one.
Organised religion has a lot to answer for, whenever you live/lived.
Organised religion has a lot to answer for, whenever you live/lived.
March 13, 2023
great series.
Fast read from the first book to the third. Look forward to reading the 4th in the series when it is released in November.
Fast read from the first book to the third. Look forward to reading the 4th in the series when it is released in November.
December 12, 2023
A wonderful history
This book deals with the complications brought on by faith disagreements.
Jewish/Converso/Catholic/Protestant.
It was a very tumultuous time.
It is well written with a good plot and bonded me to the family, so that I need to see what happens next!
This book deals with the complications brought on by faith disagreements.
Jewish/Converso/Catholic/Protestant.
It was a very tumultuous time.
It is well written with a good plot and bonded me to the family, so that I need to see what happens next!
March 20, 2024
Another winner!
The saga of Bethia and Mainard continues, this time in Venice. Problems surrounding them as they navigate through the plight of being Conversos and having family members who are religious fanatics.
The Apostates is a page turner. Definitely a good read!
The saga of Bethia and Mainard continues, this time in Venice. Problems surrounding them as they navigate through the plight of being Conversos and having family members who are religious fanatics.
The Apostates is a page turner. Definitely a good read!
August 7, 2024
ready for the next book
Enjoying the journey of interesting characters dealing with religious persecution at every turn. The characters are well developed and demonstrate humanity.
Enjoying the journey of interesting characters dealing with religious persecution at every turn. The characters are well developed and demonstrate humanity.
May 29, 2023
loved the history
The amount of information gathered through careful research is much appreciated. I nearly stopped reading due to the account of Cardinal Barton’s death in the first book of the series. I would encourage the author to edit that portion (language and actions),
but am glad to have continued reading and have learned much!
The amount of information gathered through careful research is much appreciated. I nearly stopped reading due to the account of Cardinal Barton’s death in the first book of the series. I would encourage the author to edit that portion (language and actions),
but am glad to have continued reading and have learned much!
April 24, 2025
Apostates
This has been a very interesting series. I am very much enjoying it and am looking forward to reading the next book.
This has been a very interesting series. I am very much enjoying it and am looking forward to reading the next book.
October 16, 2023
Really more of the same as The Conversos. Mostly Bethia and Mainard's ever-present threat of religious persecution, with numerous figures popping in and out. If you haven't read the first two books in this series, you're out of luck.
The backdrop this time is Vienna and Geneva. There are a few more prominent historical figures being given important roles, such as Ortelius and Calvin. However there is little growth in the three main characters (Bethia, Mainard, and Will). Despite this, The Apostates is an interesting, if not riveting read. Masters does list the main characters with a one-line bio at the start of the book, but I wish she would have extended this to other individuals (Dona Gracia, Don Juan, etc...). It was hard to contextualize these characters without more info imparted about them.
I will read the fourth, and presumably final installment of this series when it is published in November. Despite my carping above, the series grabs one and it's hard to put down once you've started one of these books.
The backdrop this time is Vienna and Geneva. There are a few more prominent historical figures being given important roles, such as Ortelius and Calvin. However there is little growth in the three main characters (Bethia, Mainard, and Will). Despite this, The Apostates is an interesting, if not riveting read. Masters does list the main characters with a one-line bio at the start of the book, but I wish she would have extended this to other individuals (Dona Gracia, Don Juan, etc...). It was hard to contextualize these characters without more info imparted about them.
I will read the fourth, and presumably final installment of this series when it is published in November. Despite my carping above, the series grabs one and it's hard to put down once you've started one of these books.
March 23, 2023
I read all three books in a matter of weeks. A lover of history and Scotland, I ate up every detail. I commend you on your knowledge of history at the time and the events unfolding the Reformation. I did check terms and situations as I read for historical accuracy. I have learned much while reading your books and was entertained along the way.
My ancestors were from Scotland and immigrated to Ireland and lived there for 100 years before immigrating to America. They were devout Calvinist Protestants when they arrived in America but from research, I know they were Catholic originally. I often wondered how the Reformation divided and affected families.
Excellent stories! I couldn't put them down. I look forward to other books you may release.
My ancestors were from Scotland and immigrated to Ireland and lived there for 100 years before immigrating to America. They were devout Calvinist Protestants when they arrived in America but from research, I know they were Catholic originally. I often wondered how the Reformation divided and affected families.
Excellent stories! I couldn't put them down. I look forward to other books you may release.
July 13, 2023
the third book in the Seton Chronicles picks up the Seton family Bethia, her husband Mainard, and her brother Will meet again and once more Bethia's family are being pushed to hit the road again. This time they are moving from Antwerp to Geneva and then on to Venice. The religious conflicts of the times between the Catholic, Protestants and Jewish converso's or not make sure that intolerance is the name of the day. Add to that the inquisition leaves few who are unscathed. I would again say that reading this series in order is necessary to get the changes facing all of the European nations at the time.
July 13, 2024
"The Apostates" by V.E.H. Masters is a compelling historical fiction novel set in 1550. Bethia flees Antwerp with her infant son to escape the Inquisition's grip, unaware that her husband, Mainard, has been captured. Her journey takes her to Geneva, a Protestant city-state where, as a Catholic, she finds little refuge. Hoping to reunite with Mainard, she contemplates Venice, a city known for its tolerance of diversity, at least among the wealthy. However, Venice hides its own dangers. Masters skillfully humanizes momentous historical events, creating a gripping narrative of survival, faith, and the quest for safety in perilous times.
March 15, 2024
Plus ça change!
What a story…. and continues. It should be almost inconceivable that stories such as this should occur….. Alas! they did and they still do.
It is a wonder that we have the benefit of writers such as V.H.MASTERS to help us begin to try to understand the consequences of our actions and of those seemingly important. I await with curiosity and hope the Seton Chronicles Book 4.
What a story…. and continues. It should be almost inconceivable that stories such as this should occur….. Alas! they did and they still do.
It is a wonder that we have the benefit of writers such as V.H.MASTERS to help us begin to try to understand the consequences of our actions and of those seemingly important. I await with curiosity and hope the Seton Chronicles Book 4.
July 12, 2024
The saga continues with Bethia and Mainard moving on to Geneva and then to Venice, where trouble manages to find them again, both from Mainard's sister (who reverts to her Jewish faith), and Bethia's brother (who remains a staunch Calvinist).
The family is becoming more fragmented, as all of the religious factions keep becoming more vicious and vociferous. Mainard and Bethia and their children, along with a few faithful servants remain strong. The decide they must leave Venice.
The family is becoming more fragmented, as all of the religious factions keep becoming more vicious and vociferous. Mainard and Bethia and their children, along with a few faithful servants remain strong. The decide they must leave Venice.
April 11, 2023
Not For Me!
Too many characters with multiple names - sometimes depicted by their first name, sometimes depicted by their last name - VERY difficult to follow!
Very complicated plot! Not a fun read at all!
Too many characters with multiple names - sometimes depicted by their first name, sometimes depicted by their last name - VERY difficult to follow!
Very complicated plot! Not a fun read at all!
November 19, 2024
This series is giving a good picture of the 16th century in Europe and the problems that changing ideas in religion were causing.
August 10, 2025
very active book
The first two books setup the story but this book starts the adventures they face. I believe the next books will be more of the same
The first two books setup the story but this book starts the adventures they face. I believe the next books will be more of the same
January 20, 2026
Just like the first two in the series, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are so well-written.
Read
June 22, 20243.5 Another solid entry in this series. This one read a lot quicker than the first two books. I think maybe because this one had a little more intrigue. I'm looking forward to finishing out the the series and getting all the loose ends tied up!
October 21, 2024
See the final book for my review.
April 29, 2024
Following the siblings Will and Bethia as they escape Antwerp before the Inquisition through the French countryside, Geneva, and into Venice. Will remains in Geneva until his mentor, Calvin, has Servertus burned at the stake. He joins his sister and brother in law in Venice as he does, the Inquisition is following onto this city. Will's Protestant faith is as heretical as Mainard's as a converted Jew (though he was fully raised as a Catholic whose parents and sister remained closeted Jews).
Again, I am drawn into the writing, I've been captivated by the story and characters. Learning bots of the colloquialisms as spoken in that day, along with a full awareness of the Reformation and Inquisition being on such close heels to one another. Somehow, this bit of history pertinent to the church is glossed over. It is not presented well in world history classes either--as if we don't want to touch the hot topic of religious freedom or the separation of church and state as anything other than the American ideal that was born out of events like these.
Again, I am drawn into the writing, I've been captivated by the story and characters. Learning bots of the colloquialisms as spoken in that day, along with a full awareness of the Reformation and Inquisition being on such close heels to one another. Somehow, this bit of history pertinent to the church is glossed over. It is not presented well in world history classes either--as if we don't want to touch the hot topic of religious freedom or the separation of church and state as anything other than the American ideal that was born out of events like these.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews